Graduates

Undergraduate Biographies

Paige Kibbler﻿﻿ began playing Horn eight years ago under the influence of her brother and mother, who also play horn. She hails from North of Chicago in Illinois. In the last four years she has performed in Chicago and around the world with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, the Illinois Music Educators Association’s Allstate Honors Band and Orchestra, the Chicago Youth in Music Festival Orchestra, and the Chicago Civic Orchestra. In addition to her pursuits on Horn, she is also active in choir and theatre. She is currently attending Indiana University Jacob's School of Music as a music education major with a focus in Band.

Raleigh Mostov, who grew up in Dublin, Ohio, is a freshman Music Education major. She will be a freshman in the fall of 2011 and is studying with Professor Nelsen. She began playing the horn when she was in 4th grade and has loved it ever since. She was a part of her high school's marching band, concert band, orchestra, pit orchestra, and pep band. She also participated in a number of groups such as the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra, OMEA All-State Orchestra, The OSU Honor Band, and Capital Honor Band. She chose to apply to IU after attending and loving the IU Summer Music Clinic for two years. Raleigh loves the french horn, but also just any music in general. Outside of music, she plays ultimate frisbee, makes cupcakes, rides her bake, and attempts to rap.

Charlotte O’Connor is from Plano, Texas and a 2011graduate of Plano West Senior High School where she was the principal horn of the PWSH Wind Ensemble and PWSH Orchestra. She was also a member of the TMEA All-State Philharmonic Orchestra and the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra. Charlotte was Drum Major of the PWSH Marching Band her senior year and also in her sophomore year for the Shepton High School Marching Band. She has received the nationally recognized John Phillip Sousa Award and Festival Disney Outstanding Concert Soloist Award, as well as many TMEA Solo & Ensemble awards.
Charlotte has attended summer programs at the Interlochen School of the Arts and Boston University Tanglewood Institute. She is honored to have been named a Barbara and David Jacobs Scholar and be a member of Studio Nelson as she fearlessly pursues a Horn Performance major.

In her free time, Charlotte enjoys cupcakes, Starbuck’s, working out, and concerts - especially when they are shared with friends. View her website at www.charlotte-horn.com

Lauren Patin﻿﻿ is an incoming freshman horn performance major in Studio Nelsen. Born and raised in Texas, Lauren served as principal horn for the Sherman High School Wind Ensemble her freshman year; however, in 2010 she moved to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois where she graduated from Normal Community West High School. While studying under Danielle Fisher, Lauren was the principal horn in the Normal West Wind Ensemble where she was a part of the world premier of Roy Magnuson's piece "...and we all go together" in 2011. In addition to playing in her school's wind ensemble, Lauren also performed in the Normal West chamber winds and participated in the Twin City Honor Band. When not playing horn, Lauren also enjoys swimming, playing piano, and hanging out with her friends and family.

Stephanie Reusch is a freshman at Indiana University studying music education. Stephanie was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and recently graduated from Mount Rainier High School. She began her studies in music on the violin at the age of 5 and switched to the horn at age 12 due to the lack of strings program at her middle school. She began lessons under Matthew Kruse and after some time decided to make horn her primary instrument. Throughout high school, Stephanie has participated in All-State and All-Northwest ensembles, both regional and state-wide Solo and Ensemble competitions, and ensembles such as Normandy Park Youth Orchestra, Tacoma Youth Symphony and the Mount Rainier High School Wind Ensemble. Certain honors Stephanie has acheived include winning the 2010 Tacoma Youth Symphony Concerto Competition and receiving composite superior ratings at State Solo and Ensemble Competitions in 2010 and 2011. Aside from the horn, Stephanie enjoys competitive swimming and street soccer

﻿﻿Alex Wahl﻿ is delighted to start his BME as part of Studio Nelsen in the fall of 2013. Although born in Norway, he grew up in League City, Texas, and began playing the horn at age 11. He graduated from Clear Creek High School in 2013, where he was principal horn of the Wind Ensemble, which was selected to perform at the 2013 Midwest Clinic/Convention in Chicago. Alex was a member of the TMEA All-State Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra as well as the Virtuosi of Houston youth orchestra. In 2011, Alex received a superior rating at the Texas State Solo & Ensemble competition. He looks forward to continue an emphasis in performance while also focusing on his degree. In addition to his musical endeavors, Alex enjoys traveling, cycling, kayaking, hiking, and just spending time in the great outdoors.

Cameron Wray﻿ grew up in Ventura, CA and is thrilled to be entering Indiana University as an undergraduate performance major as part of Studio Nelsen. Cameron began playing piano at the age of eight, but by
the time he turned 14, the horn had become his primary instrument. While living in Ventura, Cameron performed as principal horn in the Ventura High School Wind Ensemble, the Ventura College Symphony Orchestra, the Ventura College Jazz Band, and the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, with whom he was honored to perform Mozart's Second Horn Concerto in 2011. Cameron has also participated in the Ventura County Honor Band and the California All-State Ensembles, and has spent five summers at the Music Academy of the West's Merit Program.

In his spare time, Cameron enjoys traveling, reading, watching
television and movies, and spending time with all of his wonderful
friends and family!

Graduate Biographies

Sam Crocker﻿﻿, a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors in horn performance from DePauw University and is currently pursuing his Master’s in performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In 2011, he was awarded the Presser Foundation Scholarship and selected to join the Pi Kappa Lambda music honors society. In that same year, he was both chosen as a winner of the DePauw University Concerto Competition and was featured as horn soloist with the DePauw University Chamber Singers. Sam has also appeared with the Symphony Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, and University Band at DePauw, as well as been a member of chamber groups such as the Blaine Brass Quintet, the "Just Slightly" Woodwind Quintet, and the Cor 4 Horn Quartet. In 2012, he established Duo 231 with IU bassoonist Ariel Detwiler, and together they focus on advocating new composers and on creating a more relaxed concert environment. Outside of performing, Sam has spent time as a producer of the Music For Life radio show on WGRE based in Greencastle, Indiana and was an intern for the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies in Minnesota. Sam’s previous teachers include Ellen Dinwiddie-Smith, Marjory Black, and Robert Danforth, and he currently studies with Jeff Nelsen at IU. Apart from music, Sam is an avid Minnesota Vikings football fan and loves Chipotle burritos.

Sara Ford﻿﻿, a native of Manhattan Beach, California, has been playing the French horn for 10 years. During this time, she has played with many groups in the Los Angeles area including the American Youth Symphony, Debut Orchestra, and several regional orchestras. Recently, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California with Dr. Kristy Morrell. While there, she was a Renaissance and Presidential Scholar, a USC Helene, a member of the Order of Troy, and participated in several community service projects involving music, including the Harmony Project and Remedy through Music.

Ashley Schmidt﻿ is a first year masters student at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Ashley grew up in Brea, California and was tricked into learning the horn by her best friend during Christmas of 2003. While attending the University of Redlands, she has performed with numerous ensembles in the Southern California region, including the Redlands Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Jon Robertson, the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra under Maestro Maxim Eshkenazy, and the University of California, Riverside Orchestras under Dr. Ruth Charloff. Ashley has studied with Annie Bosler, Laura Brenes, Ree Oliva and Franz Söllner, and will begin her studies with Jeff Nelsen this year. During her “free time”, Ashley loves to eat food and watch her favorite TV series, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, The Return of the Condor Heroes, and The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.

Michael Walker hails from Spokane Washington but grew up in California. In 2009, Mike graduated from San Jose State University with a BM degree in horn performance. From 2009 to 2011 he held the Graduate Assistantship in horn at the University of Northern Colorado. This year, Mike joins studio Nelsen as he begins a Doctor of Music in horn. In addition to symphonic and chamber music repertoire Mike is an advocate of both opera and new music. In summer 2009 he attended the Bel Canto Institute, in Florence Italy to study opera horn excerpts and currently plays with the Utah Festival Opera. Since it’s founding, mike has been a performing artist with Melos Music, an organization of artists who collaborate and advance new music to a global community. Outside of playing the horn, Mike loves to brew his own beer, cook, hang out with his wife and enjoy the outdoors with his dog!

walkmich@indiana.edu

Lucas Workman received his Bachelors of Music in performance from Capital University in the spring of 2011 where he studied with Nicolas J. Perrini, Elisa Belck, Julia Rose, and Kimberly McCann. Lucas was previously the principal horn player for the Capital University Symphonic Winds and the Capital/Bexley Community Orchestra from the spring of 2009 to the spring of 2011. In the fall of 2010 he was selected to play Mahler’s 1st Symphony with the New Albany Symphony Orchestra for their season opening concert. Lucas will be entering his first year at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in pursuit of his Masters in Music as a member of Studio Nelsen. Outside of music and the horn, Lucas enjoys the hobby of model aviation, auto-racing, video games, cooking, and watching movies.